Abstract
Purpose :
We investigated the relationship among diabetes mellitus (DM), diabetic retinopathy (DMR) and crystalline lens changes by epidemiological surveys conducted in Japan, China, Taiwan, Iceland and Tanzania.
Methods :
The epidemiological investigation included 1778 participants aged over 50 (mean: 61.5±9.5) years, comprising 115 Japanese residents of Wajima city, 1054 Chinese residents of Sanya and Taiyuan cities, and 609 Tanzanian residents of Mkuranga district. DM was confirmed by self-report. Cataract and DMR were diagnosed by one experienced ophthalmologist (HS) using a slit lamp microscope. Cataracts were grouped into 5 types: cortical (COR), nuclear (NUC), posterior subcapsular cataract (PSC), Retrodots (RD) and Waterclefts (WC). WC with vacuoles were grouped as VWC. COR and WC comprised 2 types: central (CEN+) within 3 mm diameter of the pupil center and peripheral (CEN-) outside this area. We used the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) for logistic regression analysis, taking age, gender, smoker/non-smoker, and axial length and total UV exposure dose as objective variables to examine the risks of 5 types of cataracts with/without DM and DMR.
Results :
Regarding DM, the odds ratios were: COR (CEN-), 1.67 (1.12-2.48, 95% CI) (p<0.05); NUC, 0.62 (0.38-1.02) (p=0.062); PSC, 2.48 (1.36-4.52) (p<0.01); RD, 1.54 (1.08-2.20) (p<0.05); WC (CEN+), 0.32 (0.12-0.85) (p<0.05); and VWC (CEN-), 3.60 (2.10 - 6.15) (p<0.001). Regarding DMR, the odds ratios were: RD, 5.6 (2.1-14.8); and VWC (CEN-), 14.0 (3.6-54.9) (p<0.01). In the subjects with and without VWC (CEN-), prevalence of DM was 23.1% and 4.1%, and that of DMR, 12.8% and 1.3%, which were significantly higher in subjects with VWC (CEN-) (p<0.001).
Conclusions :
The risks of RD and VWC (CEN-) in addition to cortical and posterior subcapsular cataract are high in patients with DM. Accordingly, these lens lesions may serve as a diagnostic tool in treatment of DM.
This is an abstract that was submitted for the 2017 ARVO Annual Meeting, held in Baltimore, MD, May 7-11, 2017.